- Breathing is evidence of a living body, and good works is evidence of a living faith.
- Not breathing is evidence of a dead body, and the absence of good works is evidence of a dead faith.
- You can’t revitalize a corpse by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and you can’t create genuine faith by good works.
That’s my paraphrase of Dan G. McCartney on James 2:14–26 (James [BECNT; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2009]). An 18-page PDF sampling of the commentary includes “Excursus 2: Faith, Works, and Justification in James and Paul” (pp. 272–79). Here’s how McCartney concludes his chapter on James 2:14–26 (p. 172):
James’s principal point is not in doubt, in any case: that which distinguishes living faith from dead faith is works of faith. By no means does any of this suggest that one could create genuine faith by works, any more than an effort at mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could revitalize a corpse.
Wow. Piper tweeted you.
This commentary is on my list. As far as analogies go:
“James is not saying that we are saved by faith or by works. Nor is James saying we are justified by faith and by works. Rather, James is saying that we are justified by faith that manifests, or results in, or produces works. Works are the fulfillment of faith, just as follow-through is the fulfillment of a promise. Anyone can make promises, but keeping promises is what counts. This is James’s perspective and should be ours when presenting the true Gospel that saves.
(v. 26) Body – spirit = death. Beliefs cannot be separated from behavior. All behavior is grounded in belief. For example, if I show up on time to a meeting, it is because I believe that being on time is important. If you remain in school and finish your degree, then you’re showing that you believe getting a degree is valuable. In the same way that it’s unimaginable to have a painting without the paint, so too a person cannot have faith without works. Faith is to the paint as works are to the painting. The one gives rise to the other. Or consider: Just as the hand animates the utility, function, and purpose of a glove, so too works animate the utility, function, and purpose of faith.”
From my series.
Sorry if these are stupid questions, but is FAITH actually a WORK? How does one actually have or get faith? Is FAITH a mental WORK?
Hey, Mark. Here’s my understanding:
1. Saving faith is something that we do (i.e., we actively trust Jesus), but it is not a “work” in the sense that James and Paul use the term.
2. Faith is a gift from God.
Still confused.
1. Faith is something that we do.
2. Faith is a gift from God.
Aren’t these different? How can it be both something we do, and something given to us?
Also still unclear how to have faith. Based on your two points:
1. Actively trusting requires belief, but belief can’t be faked. One typically believes based on something (personal experience, evidence, explanitory scope, etc.). However, if someone doesn’t have that, how can they believe?
2. If having faith is dependent on God. Do we have no power whether to believe or not? If so, then why bother trying?
Hey Mark:
Excellent question actually. As Andy said, faith that saves is a gift (Eph. 2:9; Philip 1:29) and therefore cannot by definition be a work that we perform. Yet, faith too is mental. Let me explain.
St. Augustine noted that faith is “resting in the evidence.” Some think that faith is devoid of evidence or that the more faith one has the less evidence is required. But faith believes with the evidence, not against it. Faith is always “faith in” or “faith that”. Faith is not the opposite of thinking or reasoning.
Faith is trust in someone or something. Faith is having more certainty than doubt. Faith is not some amorphous wish or hopeful desire that something might be the case. Faith believes with the evidence and never against it.
There are Three Elements to “Faith”
1. Faith begins with knowledge (notitia). Cognition (mental processes) is the primary faculty involved with notitia. Faith is not an empty container but is filled with content. Faith necessarily entails “faith in” something or someone. Simply because faith involves religious knowledge does not require us to be less certain about the content of our faith. When our religious convictions are logically sound and fit the facts, then we are justified in holding our beliefs with certainty.
2. Knowledge, then, leads to mental assent (assensus). Assent moves us from cognition to conviction. When we assent to a belief we are admitting the truth of a claim or we are agreeing with the facts of a claim. Assent to facts is what makes belief possible. There is an emotional element involved with assensus wherein a personal element of assurance is present, but we must not confuse our subjective assurance with the objective facts of a belief. Mental assent is necessary in all our beliefs. Assent includes knowledge of (notitia) and acceptance that (assensus). One must not only know the truth but also accept it as fact before belief obtains. Mental assent, though necessary, is not sufficient. Mere acceptance of truth falls short of genuine faith.
3. Finally, faith comes to completion with trust (fiducia). From cognition (= awareness), to conviction (= acceptance), to commitment (= appropriation). Whereas notitia is primarily intellectual, assensus emotional, fiducia is volitional. Faith is a trust that surrenders the soul to the facts. The seat of faith lies not in the intellect alone, nor in the emotions alone, or in the will alone. True faith that involves all three elements finds its rest in what the Bible calls the human heart (Rom. 10:9-10), lies in all three.
I hope this helps.
Dear Mark,
Good questions. Here’s my understanding: Faith is something that we do, but God is the one who enables us to do it.
I unpack this in more detail in “Do We Have a Free Will?“
Paul,
Thanks for the great break down of faith. But I’m still not sure where the “gift” part fits in to the three parts of faith. Maybe I can work on the knowledge part and hope that the mental assent comes (oh, is that the “gift” part?)
Andy,
I enjoyed the first time I listened to your talk, and since then have listened to some podcasts that stress free will to help explain the problem of evil. So now I think I have to revisit your notes again :)